keep-away

noun

ˈkēp-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce keep-away (audio)
: a game in which two or more players try to keep an object (such as a ball) from one or more other players

Examples of keep-away in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But his attacks on the front-runner have already changed the dynamic of an election nearly two months away: It's got Rogers playing keep-away, trying to protect his lead. — Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 7 June 2024 During the road trip finale against the Florida Panthers, the Hawks were on the business end of a game of keep-away. — Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of keep-away was in 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Keep-away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep-away. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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